Tel Aviv T
el Aviv’s reputation as a fun-loving
beachside city has been gradually building in recent years. And the industry could be hearing a lot more about it after the high flyers of the UK’s travel industry return from this year’s ITT Conference (held at the Hilton Tel Aviv, June 6-8). It’s a place in constant evolution; just a few
years ago, as high-rise Tel Aviv sought to create a new district by reviving its old-world charm, it sent a plea to German refugees in Australia. On the outbreak of the Second World War, Israel’s then British rulers had expelled the German population to the antipodes and the refugees’ abandoned turn-of-the-century farming homes at Sarona became military barracks. But recent plans to bulldoze this one-time “Little Germany” and put up more modern
skyscrapers were met with protest. Subsequently, a scheme was hatched to return the buildings to their original look and fill them with shops and cafes – but it relied on the refugees’ help. Three silent months passed after the plea
went out but just when the authorities were losing hope, with typical German efficiency, a crate arrived from the exiles chock full of photographs and detailed records they had been collating relating to every home. Now, plaques affixed to each restored building in the Sarona district tell the story of the original owners, while inside you can walk on vintage tiles and climb creaky staircases to view art or buy Tommy Hilfiger and Fred Perry clothing, top notch ice- cream and filled picnic baskets for lounging in the surrounding gardens. It’s perhaps the only
place in the world you can purchase the latest Adidas gear in a former church. Sarona, relaunched just two years ago, is not the only local rejuvenation success in this city. Wandering around the old flea market of Jaffa you’ll see something of a mini Shoreditch on the Med. Jaffa is Tel Aviv’s neighbour and its senior by some 3,000 years, so amid the antique and junk stalls you’ll find smart boutiques and chi-chi cafes aplenty. There are more high-end boutiques in artsy Neve Tzedek (particularly Shalom Shabazi Street), the city’s oldest Jewish settled area, regenerated thanks to the arrival of the Suzanne Dellal Center – a major dance school where you can also catch performances. Tel Aviv has always been Israel’s capital of cool. Cosmopolitan and famously gay-friendly,
The foodie scene, beach promenade and Modernist architecture – what to see
1. Fun feasts Tel Aviv has a great farm-to-fork foodie scene. Browse Carmel Market and eat in one of the surrounding cafes or check out new high-end Sarona Market food mall. By night, choose from fashionable eateries at recently resorted Tel Aviv port.
2. Walkabout Hail a taxi or hire a bike and sweep along part of the nine-mile long beach promenade to Jaffa, where streets named after signs of the zodiac lead you to the remains of a 3BC catacomb.
3. City stunners German Bauhaus architects who fled the Third Reich created the Modernist buildings lining Rothschild Boulevard and its surrounds, known now as the Unesco-listed White City, home to 4,000 buildings. Take a guided or audio tour from The Bauhaus Center (
bauhaus-center.com); meanwhile, Nahalat Binyamin Street has arts and craft markets on Tuesdays and Fridays.
DESTINATIONS SUMMER 2016
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Don’t miss
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